ORDER XIII.—ANSERIFORMES.
F. 58. ANATIDAE (21), SWANS, GEESE, 206 sp.—39(30)A., 50(9)O., 68(10)P., 41(21)E., 56(11)Nc., 70(39)Nl.
1
1
126 Black Swan, Chenopsis atrata, A., T.
[~126 Chenopis atrata.]
Stat. c. lakes 40
Black; white on wing; very long neck; f., sim. Plants.
1
1
127 Pied Goose (Magpie, Black and White, Semipalmated), Anseranas semipalmata, A., T.
Stat. v.r. water 32
Head, neck, wings, lower-back, tail, thighs black; rest white; feet half-webbed; f., sim. Grass.
1
1
128[*] Cape Barren Goose, Cereopsis novae-hollandiae, V., S.A., W.A., T., Bass St. Is.
Stat. v.r. grass, coast 3
Brownish-gray; dark spots on wing; bill black; naked skin round bill lemon-yellow; legs pinkish; toes, webs, streak up front of leg black; pugnacious; f., sim. Grass.
1
1
129[*] Maned Goose, Wood-Duck (e), Chenonetta jubata, A., T.
Stat. c. water 20
Crown deep-brown; tail, lower-back black; metallic green on wing; breast gray spotted black; hind-neck short black plumes; white patch on wing; bill olive-brown, high, goose-like; f., smaller; duller; breast spotted white. Grass, snails, insects.
2
9
130 Whistling Duck (Tree), Dendrocygna arcuata, Ind., Malay to Cel., Mol., N.G., A., Oceania.
Stat. r. water 17
Crown, upper brownish-black marked lighter; chin whitish; breast deep-buff, spotted black; abdomen chestnut; under base tail white; whistles when flying; f., sim. Water-plants, fish.
131[*] Plumed Whistling Duck (Eyton Tree), D. eytoni, A., T., N.Z.
Stat. r. lagoons 16
Upper grayish-brown; rump, tail blackish-brown; lower-breast, flanks chestnut barred black; white, black plumes on flanks; under base tail white; whistles when flying; f., sim. Water-plants, fish.
2
5
132 Australian Sheldrake, Chestnut-colored Shieldrake, Mountain Duck, Casarca tadornoides, N.S.W., V., T., S.A., W.A., N.W.A. =vt. Eur. Sheldrake.
[~132 Tadorna tadornoides.]
Stat. r. lagoons 27
Head, neck shining-green; chest, upper-back pale rust-red; white band between green and rust-red; upper, under blackish; tail black; white, green, chestnut on wing; f., smaller, duller. Small fish, shellfish.
1
16
133[*] Black Duck (Australian Wild, Gray, Brown), Parera, Anas superciliosa, =vt. Eur. Mallard. Sunda Is. to N.G., A., T., N.Z.
Stat. v.c. water 24
Head dark-brown; line above eye, line below eye, throat light-buff; upper, under brown marked lighter; glossy-green patch on wing; bill bluish lead-color; f., sim. Grass, insects, pond-snails.
3
15
134[*] Australian Teal (Chestnut-breasted, Black, Mountain), Tete, Nettium castaneum, Java, Cel., A., T., N.Z. =vt. Eur. Teal.
[~134 Nettion castaneum.]
Stat. c. lagoons 18.5
Head, neck dark bronze-green; upper rich brown; under chestnut; flanks spotted black; white, green patch on expanded wing; quills black; 1 lb. 9 oz.; f., head, neck brown and buffy-white; breast gray, spotted black; 1 lb. 8 oz. Grass.
135[*] Gray Teal, Wood-Teal, N. gibberifrons, Sunda Is., Cel., N.G., A., T., N.Z.
Stat. c. lagoons 16
Like female of 134, but smaller; neck white; 1 lb. 2 oz.; f., smaller; 1 lb. 1 oz.
2
4
136[*] Australian Shoveller, Bluewing, Spoonbill-Duck, Stinker, Kuruwhengi, Spatula rhynchotis, A., T., N.Z., =vt. Eur. Shoveller.
Nom. v.r. freshwater 21.5
Crown brownish-black; white line before eye, side of neck; head, neck gray tinged green; under chestnut-brown mottled black; flanks chestnut banded black; back-feathers blackish edged grayish; blue, white, green on wing; throat black; quills dark-brown; under-wing white; f., duller; head, neck buff marked brown; under mottled brown, buff. Water-plants, shellfish, insects.
1
1
137[*] Pink-eared Duck (Pink-eyed, Zebra), Widgeon (e), Malacorhynchus membranaceus, A., T.
Nom. v.r. fresh water 17
Under barred brown, white; face, chin white; black round eye; behind eye a spot of rose-pink; back, wings brown; upper base tail whitish; tail dark-brown slightly tipped white; f., smaller. Water-animals.
1
1
138 Freckled Duck (Monkey), Stictonetta naevosa, V., S.A., W.A., T., N.S.W.
v.r. water 17
Dark-brown freckled whitish, under lighter. Small fish, pond-snails.
1
8
139[*] White-eyed Duck (Purple-headed, White-winged), Hardhead, Brownhead, Barwing, Karakahia, Aythya australis, N.G., A., T., N.Z., =vt. Canvas-back of N. Am.
[~139 Nyroca australis.]
c. lagoons, bays 20
Chestnut-brown; white patch on wing; upper abdomen whitish; under tail white; eye white; f., smaller, duller. Pond-snails, insects.
1
7
140 Blue-billed Duck (Spiny-tailed, Stiff-tailed, Diving), Erismatura australis, N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A., T.
[~140 Oxyura australis.]
v.r. reedbeds 16
Head, neck black; chest, back, flanks chestnut; tail blackish; bill light-blue; f., bill olive-green; freckled gray-brown; under lighter. Insects, pond-snails, fish.
1
1
141 Musk Duck (Must), Mould Goose (e), Biziura lobata, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., W.A., T.
Stat. c. lagoons, bays 26
Blackish freckled buffy-white; wings small; long stiff tail-feathers; bill, lobe beneath chin greenish-black; dives; f., half-size; duller; no lobe. Frogs, shellfish, shrimps.
There are six families of birds included in Order XIV.—the Totally-webbed Swimmers. All four toes are joined by a web. Ducks have three toes only joined by the web, the hind toe being free. Representatives of the six families are found in Australia. These birds are fishers par excellence.
In the first family come the well-known Cormorants or Shags, birds found in almost every country in the world. Forty-two species are known, of which five occur in Australia.
The large Black Cormorant is the common Black Cormorant of Britain. It has a very extensive range over North America, Greenland, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
The little Black Cormorant is found in Australia, from the Moluccas to Borneo, and in New Zealand. Indeed, New Zealand is the stronghold of Cormorants, as it possesses many species.
The White-breasted and Pied Cormorants are so closely similar that possibly they will yet prove to be one species. Each is glistening white below, and jet black above. The bill is said to be longer in the Pied Cormorant, and the patch of naked skin near the eye is yellow, whereas, in the White-breasted Cormorant, this patch is said to be blackish or purplish. The Little Cormorant is also black and white. Its throat and upper chest are yellow.
Mr. Mattingley, C.M.Z.S., and others claim that the Cormorant, by feeding its young on yabbies, which, they say, prey on fish eggs, saves many more fish in the young stage than it ever eats in the adult stage, and hence it is really "a friend" of the anglers and fish. One thing is certain—fish were formerly much more abundant, and so were Cormorants. Anglers, collect evidence, and balance good with evil. Cormorants have a long, narrow bill, with a strongly-hooked tip. They are such expert fishers that in China they are much used to catch fish. Some will probably be surprised to learn that this custom formerly held in England, for the "Master of the Cormorants" was once one of the officers of the Royal household.
Some Cormorants nest in company in the Murray swamps, while others retire to a rocky island, such as Storehouse Island, east of Flinders Island, to breed.
These birds are expert swimmers and divers, so that one of the common names for them is "Diver," but the true Divers, as already pointed out, are Northern Hemisphere birds, and are placed in Family 25.
The Darter, or Snake Bird, is practically identical with the Water-Turkey of the United States. Sometimes, when alarmed, it submerges its body, leaving the head and neck exposed. It swims rapidly in this position. Four of these birds are known, and they are spread over America, Africa, Madagascar, Southern Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand. The Darter was frequently seen on a recent trip to Enoggera Reservoir, the storage basin for Brisbane. The long, stiletto-like bill is used to impale its prey, while the flexible neck assists the spearing operation.
The next family contains the famous "Boobies" of sailors—the stupid Gannets, or Solan Geese, that were too stupid to escape from danger. Gould says our Gannet out-boobies the Booby, for he landed on a flat rock and secured five specimens by hand before the rest shuffled over the edge of the cliff and took flight. The Australian bird can scarcely be distinguished from its British cousin. It is common in Australian seas, where it can be seen diving for fish or flying swiftly round looking for prey. There is a large Gannet rookery on Cat Island, east of Flinders Island, where probably 4000 pairs of these fine birds nest each year. This was visited by a party of ornithologists in the Manawatu in 1908.
The famous Frigate-Bird we read of in the old school readers was twice taken in Port Phillip Bay. It is the best of flyers, as it can "breakfast on the Senegal (Africa), and dine on the Amazon." The two Frigate-Birds are common in Australian tropical seas. As already mentioned we met the Frigate Bird on Mast Head Island. Its wings are long, the forked tail also is long, but the legs and feet are very small. It is a creature of the air, and gets its living by compelling hard-working sea-birds to disgorge their prey.
The last bird in this varied Order is the Pelican. Our Australian Pelican is one of the largest of its tribe. Its enormous pouch distinguishes it at once. The ten Pelicans are practically world-wide in their distribution. On the trip of the Manawatu last year round the islands of Bass Strait, we visited the Pelicans' nesting-place on Penguin Island. This bird is practically identical with the "Pelican of the wilderness" mentioned in Holy Writ. The Pelican enjoys a reputation for maternal care of her offspring; indeed, she was said to feed the young with her own blood. This was probably due to the fact that one species of Pelican has a blood-red tip to the bill. Young Pelicans have not the long bill or the pouch. Thus this bird illustrates the truth of the statement that each animal in its development climbs its own ancestral tree, or, to say it in another form, each animal in its development recapitulates the life-history of the race. The Pelican has evidently descended from birds that possessed a short bill.
